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Does Empathy Have a Cost? Older Adults and Social Partners Experiencing Problems
Meng Huo1, Jamie L Fuentecilla1, Kira S Birditt2
1Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin.
The Gerontologist
|June 2, 2019
Summary
Older adults with higher empathy encountered more partners with problems. However, empathy buffered negative mood effects from these social interactions, protecting older adults' well-being.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Social Psychology
- Affective Science
Background:
- Empathy influences older adults' recognition of and response to social partners' needs.
- The impact of empathy on older adults' well-being in the context of social partners' problems remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between older adults' empathy and their encounters with social partners facing problems.
- To examine how empathy affects older adults' well-being during daily interactions with partners experiencing difficulties.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 313 adults aged over 65.
- Baseline assessment of empathy and social partners' problems.
- Daily diary reports of social encounters and mood over 5-6 days.
Main Results:
- More empathic older adults reported a higher proportion of social partners with major life problems.
- Empathy was not linked to increased contact or negative encounters with struggling social partners.
- While encounters with partners in distress negatively impacted mood, empathy mitigated these effects.
Conclusions:
- Empathy plays a crucial role in older adults' social lives and well-being.
- Findings suggest empathy can protect older adults' mood when close relations face crises.
- Interventions can leverage empathy to support older adults' resilience.
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